Coil-spring longitudinal-arch support



June 10,1930.

FIG. 3.

W. SEIGLE COIL SPRING LONGITUDINAL ARCH SUPPORT Filed April 19, 1929Patented June to, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM SEIGLE, OF EINTON; OKLAHOMACOIL-SPRLNG LONG-ITUIDINAL-ARCH SUPPORT Application filed. April 19,

My invention relates to supports for suport-ing the longitudinal arch ofthe human oot.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device of this class whichWill be new, novel, practical and of utility; which will resilientlysupport the longitudinal arch of the human foot and at the same timeallow tree action of all the bones; which will be durable; which will beeasy upon the foot; which will help to build up fallen arches by allowinfree action of the foot muscles; which will e compact; which may be Wornbetween the sole of the shoe and the foot; which is adjustableas toheight for fitting various degrees of fallen arches; which will besanitary; which will have no metal to contact the foot; and which willbe efiicient in accomplishing all of the purposes for which it isintended.

At the present time there are a number of arch supports in use for thepurpose of supporting lon itudinal arches of the human foot, some oiwhich accomplish this supporting by flat metal springs adapted to fitsaid my, arch. This particular type ot arch support has provenunsatisfactory and insuficient for the reason that the metal used insaid spring in order to be strong enough to support a persons weight,cannot be made with sutficient 3o resilience to allow full action of thebones and muscles of the toot. This particular type of arch support isfrequently broken, usually in the middle by the straightening oi thespring at its central portion when a persons weight is placed thereon.Such springs are usually necessarily heavyr There is another type ofarch support now being used made of leather and having slots orenvelopes units under side for building up the support by inserting inrubber discs therein. This type oi support has also proved inetlicientbecause of the fact that it has practically no resilience arid thushampers toot action.

With these and other objects in view as will as more fully appear myinvention consists in 1929. Serial No. 356,522.

the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinaftermore fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, andillustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing, of which,

Figure 1 is a plan View of my device; Fig. 2 is a sectional view alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional viewshowing the adjustment means; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional Viewthrough my device.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes'in the form, proportion, size,shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope of myinvention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broadprinciple of my invention and without sacrificing any of theadvantagesthereot; and it is also understood that the drawings are to beinterpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

A practical embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawingsincludes:

A base member 1' having rounded ends 2 and 3 and having one of its sidescurved inwardlyas shown at 4. Said curved portion a is adapted to titthe curve of a shoe sole upon the inside of the foot Said member 1 isshaped-at its other side 4; to fit the curve of a shoe sole at theoutside of a foot. Said base member 1 to be made of any suitable fabricmaterial, such as canvas, leather and the like. Upon the edge of saidbase member 1 at a point adjacent the said curved portion l, I provide ahorisontal pin 5 extending slightly outward from said member 1; Upon thecentral portion of said base member 1 and at- 85 tached thereto by anyusual manner is coiled spring 6.. Said spring 6 is generally conical inshape, having its largest cell at the bottom, each coil thereabovebecoming gradually smaller.

Said spring 6 is of suctlicient tension and strength to support apersons weight without becoming wholly flattened out when stepped upon.Attached to the outer edge 4 of said base member 1 by any usual means,such as cementing, sewing, and the like, and extending over the top ofsaid spring 6 and also being attached to said member 1 at said curvedend portions 2 and 3, I provide top member 7. Said member 7 as may bestbe seen in Figure 2 is not attached to said base member at said curvedportion 4:, but is held suspended by said spring 6, thus leaving an openspace 8, between said members 1 and 7. The free edge portion 9 of saidmember 7 curves slightly upward for movably contacting the inside wall10 of a shoe. Said member 7 is constructed at its outer portion 11 whichis shown in Fig. 1 as lying outside of the dotted line 11 of anyresilient material, preferably rubber. The remainder of said member 7shown in Fig. l as being inclosed within said dotted line 11 is made ofany suitable fibrous material such as leather, canvas, and the like.Said portion 11 is made of resilient material for the purpose ofallowing the slight stretching thereof when said portion 9 is forceddownward by a per sons weight.

Embedded within said top member 7 at a point adjacent the center or thetop coil of said spring 6 is a pin 12 which lies approximatelyhorizontal. Beneath the central portion of said pin 12, I provide anopening 13 extending from the bottom side of said top member 7 into saidmember 7 to said pin 12. I further provide a small chain 14: with itstop link 15 suspended over said pin 12 extending downward through saidopening 13. Said chain 14: is of suilicient length to reach downwardpast said base member 1, and is for the purpose of adjusting the heightor" said spring 6 by hooking one of its lower links over said outwardextending pin 5.

In operation it will be understood that my arch supports are to be madein various sizes to tit diiierent sizes of shoes, and both the left andright foot. The salesman after determining the correct size for a personand after examining a persons foot as to the extent and degree to whichthe arch has fallen, adjusts the height of said spring 6 by hooking oneof the links of said chain 1% over said pin 5 upon the edge of said basemember 1. It will be seen that said top member 7 provides a smoothsurface for contacting the wearers foot and that the foot is supportedadjacent its central portion by said spring 6 that in walking saidspring 6 will be pressed downwardly when a persons weight is placed uponsaid member 7 an d that when the weight is withdrawn that said spring 6will by'upward pressure cause said member 7 to force the bones of thelongitudinal arch of the foot into correct position; that it willrestore free and natural action to the bones and muscles of the foot.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms otherthan that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddescribed herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than asdetailed, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications andadaptations and other uses of the form of the device other than asherein described as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device, as described, embodying an arch support comprising a fabricbase memher and a fibrous top member resilient in parts, joined at theirheel, toe, and edge portions, a coil spring disposed between the centralportions of said members, and a chain means attaching said memberscentrally for adjustably controlling the throw of said spring.

2. A device, as described, embodying an arch support, adapted to lit thebottom of a foot and the top of the sole of a shoe, comprising a fabricbase member and a fibrous top member resilient in parts, joined at the rheel, toe, and edge portions, a cone shaped COll spring disposed betweenand adjacent the central portions of said members, and a chain meansattaching said. members centrally for adjustably controlling the throwof said spring.

3. An arch support, as described, embodying, a base member adapted tofit the top side of the sole of a shoe, a coil spring disposed upon thecentral portion of said base mem' her, a top member attached at itsouter edge, heel and toe portions to the corresponding portions of saidbase member, said top member extending over said spring, the portionsadjacent the said attached portions being made of a resilient material,a chain having its top end attached to said top member, extendingdownward through the coils of said spring, and means upon the edgeoofsaid base member for connecting said chain for adjusting the throw ofsaid spring and top member.

4:. An arch support, as described, embodying a fabric base memberadapted to fit the top side of the sole of a shoe, an upright conicalcoil spring disposed upon the central portion of said base member, a topmember attached at its outer edge, heel and toe portions to thecorresponding portions of said base member, said top member extendingover said spring, the portions adjacent the said attached portions beingmade of a resilient material, a chain having its top end attached tosaid top member, extending downward through the coils of said spring,and pin means upon the edge of said base member for meeeei connectingsaid ehein for adjusting the throw of said spring and top member.

5. The combination with a device, es de scribed having a fabric basemember adapted 5 to fit the top side of a shoe sole and a fibrous topmember resilient in parts joined at their heel, toe, and outside edgeportions, of a cone shaped coil spring disposed between the cen irzilportions of said members, and a chain 19 means *ehrough the central coilof said spring eitachin said members for adjusting the throw 0 saidspring and said top member. WILLIAM SEIGLE.

